Experience the City of Music

Introduced in 2012, the Experience the City of M​usic Program is a cooperative effort by the Port of Seattle, the Office of Film + Music, Seattle Music Commission and PlayNetwork. It is a comprehensive effort to showcase the Northwest's diverse music culture and enhance the experience of millions of travelers who pass through the airport.

In 2013, the program was honored as Best Arrivals Experience by the Future Travel Experience Awards to recognize innovative, ambitious and effective initiatives and organizations in the airline industry. Travelers may experience:

​Live performances seven days a week at locations throughout the terminal

Overhead music exclusively by more than 240 Northwest artists

Videos featuring clips about Seattle’s music scene and history on terminal and baggage claim

monitors

Multi-genre web radio available through the airport’s free Wi-Fi Network

Pearl Jam Exhibit at Sea-Tac

Seattle music icons concert poster display makes comeback in an area where more people can enjoy - organized by MoPOP, popular display part of airport's top-notch art program

One of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport’s most popular displays. In cooperation with Seattle’s MoPOP (formerly EMP Museum), “PUSH ME, PULL ME: Pearl Jam and the Art of the Screen Printed Poster” is back!

The display, which was inside security checkpoints, had to go into storage late last year to make room for a new airline dining location. Now, the display is back in a pre-security checkpoint location, just behind ticket counters in the middle of the airport.

Videos

Audio Clips​

Hear a sample of the voice announcements you may hear by Ann Wilson of Heart and Macklemore:

​

What's going on in the city?

Submit your music for the Sea-Tac Airport Music Program

Interested musicians should follow the instructions below for submitting music and video content for consideration. To participate by reading overhead messages, send a request to SeaTacMessagingRequest@playnetwork.com (note: please do not send music/video requests or content via email).

Licensing:

All music, video and messaging added to the Sea-Tac Airport playlist will be selected by a committee with members from PlayNetwork, the Port of Seattle and the Seattle Music Commission. These submissions will be reviewed quarterly for inclusion in the program. Decisions will be made based on suitability for a public audience of all ages.

Find out about one of our featured artists:

Jason Kertson

In 2012, the Port of Seattle introduced Experience the City of Music, a music program created in effort to showcase the diversity of music culture in the Northwest and enhance traveler experience as they pass through Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Since 2013, Sea-Tac has had over 58 live musicians play, accumulating over 1,800 hours of music. The genres of these artists can range from jazz to blues to folk, and even pop.

One artist in particular is a young musician by the name of Jason Kertson. He can often be seen at locations throughout the terminal, performing his songs using a loop station and a guitar. Having practiced six hours a day since he was seven years old, Kertson developed a passion for mastering the guitar. Besides the guitar, he also plays bass, drums, keyboards, harpsichord, ukulele, mandolin, and the violin.

In February of 2011, YouTube icon Ray William Johnson tweeted Kertson’s guitar cover​ of “Drifting” by Andy McKee. In 2013, he auditioned for The Voice and was featured in a five minute on-air segment, which helped him gain exposure to thousands of new fans. Kertson has been in three bands: Jason Kertson and the Immortals, a metal and hard rock band created in 2010; Pink Slips, a band founded by the daughter of Guns ‘N Roses’s Duff McKagen in 2013; and now Kertson, an indie rock band formed under Jason’s last name.

“I knew that I had this desire to do something more with music, not just go and sing songs, but preach a message, whether it’s a quality or anything like that,” Kertson said. “This new band was formed under the desire to be something positive, be something influential, and overall to make as many people confident and happy as possible. That’s our goal.”

Jason learned about Experience the City of Music after asking a friend to homecoming in his junior year of high school. Jason has also been working with Gigs4U for a year and a half, which had helped him land his performances at the airport.

“[The music program] gives musicians a way to express things in a way they may not be able to express otherwise,”said Kertson. “It also gives some people a chance to be in front of an audience, and being at the airport is really good practice too, especially when you’re out in the central area, learning how to interact with your audience and getting comfortable being in front of people.” Kertson is one of many artists that can be found at Sea-Tac. Look ​for other artists and their schedules.

“People are caring and wanting to support music and musicians. As far as being a musician, there’s nothing more important than the people who support you because without them you’ve got nothing,” Kertson said.